Category Archives: DIY and How To

Orchid care is important for orchids. Orchids, easily recognizable by their long stems and exotic brightly colored blooms, symbolize many things like beauty and love, strength, luxury, and power. They’re incredibly elegant, make great gifts, and can enhance the beauty of any space.

And what’s great is that orchid care for beginners is easy, so if you have the proper growing conditions, it won’t be difficult to learn how to care for your orchid plants.

Want to grow beautiful, long-lasting orchids that will wow you and your guests? Keep reading for 10 tips of orchid care for beginners.

10 Tips of Orchid Care for Beginners

Taking care of orchid plants is easy if you know what you’re doing. Here are some basic indoor orchid growing tips that every beginner should know.

1. Know Your Orchid

There are nearly 30,000 species of orchids in the world, spanning across six continents, so orchid care for beginners requires knowing about the kind of orchid you’re growing. If possible, you should know the exact name of your orchid, and if you can’t find that information out you should at least know what type of orchid it is.

If you don’t have a tag or are unsure, you can bring your plant to a local orchid society to have it identified. By knowing what type of orchid you have, you’ll have able to find out the basic light, water, and temperature needs for your orchid.

2. Provide Proper Lighting for Your Orchid

When it comes to growing orchids indoor, providing them with the right amount of sunlight is essential. It’s also important to know that the kind of lighting you need to provide your orchid depends on the type of orchid they are.

Medium-high light orchids grow best in locations that are bright but not in direct sunlight. Medium-low light orchids do best near east-or west-facing windows with no direct sunlight. And low light orchids do best when the light is blocked by trees or neighboring buildings.

3. Grow Your Orchids at the Proper Temperature

Like light, the temperature an orchid blooms best at depends on the type of orchid you’re growing. Orchids are generally divided into three temperature categories

Warm-growing orchids (like temperatures between 70?F and 85?F)

Intermediate orchids (like temperatures between 65?F and 75?)

Cool-growing orchids (like temperatures below 70?F)

Most orchids like a 10-15?F drop in temperatures at night. What’s nice though is that most orchids grow well at the same temperature as other houseplants, so you won’t have to treat them differently than your other houseplants.

4. Provide Your Orchids With the Proper Humidity

Most orchids like the humidity in a room to be about 70%. This is a lot more humid than most homes, so you’ll need to take some extra steps to provide your plants with this amount of humidity.

You can do this by doing things like misting your plants with a spray bottle. This is especially helpful for plants with aerial roots growing out of the pot. You can also set up a humidity tray, which will provide some extra humidity for the plant.

5. Water Your Orchid Properly

When it comes to orchid care for beginners, you must avoid overwatering it, as that is the number one killer of orchids. Orchids are usually potted in bark mix rather than potting soil, so they need to be watered differently. You should never allow your orchid plants to sit in still water, and you should never water them at night, as that encourages bacterial and fungal diseases and allows the water to stagnate.

When you water your orchids, make sure you do it thoroughly, and research your orchid species in advance to know how much water it needs. If you’re not sure if you should water your orchid or not, however, it’s best to hold off. In general, how frequently you water your orchid depends on the following things:

The type of orchid

The type of pot

The type of potting mix

The air temperature

The humidity

The level of light

By considering these factors and educating yourself about your orchid, you can master this main rule of orchid care for beginners.

6. Grow Orchids That Like Your Growing Environment

Your orchids will grow best in an environment most like their native one. So when you’re considering an orchid type, you should think about what species are best suited for your home, and how much effort you’re willing to put into accommodating their needs.

The great thing about orchid is that there are many kinds of them, so there is bound to be one that matches your environment. You’ll be setting yourself up for failure if you buy an orchid that likes the opposite kind of environment that you can provide them.

7. Fertilize Your Orchids Properly

An important part of orchid care for beginners is fertilizing your orchids properly. In the wild, orchids get very fertilization, but they can actually grow well and vigorously if you fertilize them. You should know that orchids are very sensitive to salt, so you should avoid fertilizers that include them.

When you fertilize you should do it during the growing season, and only use the fertilizer at half the strength that’s listed on the package. You should also only do it once a week when you water the plant, as this will ensure that orchid will absorb the fertilizer.

8. Invest in Proper Care for Your Orchids

One of the most important parts of orchid care for beginners is investing in the quality potting materials needed for success. You should try to buy from a professional orchid vendor and ensure that it will be potted in a proper mix. By doing this you can make sure your orchid is healthy and ready to grow in your home.

9. Ask Questions Before You Buy

When buying your orchids, you should ask the buyer everything you need to know about your plant. They can tell you what conditions the plant has seen recently, and any special considerations that your plant may need. The buyer is more likely to be able to answer your questions about your orchid species than the Internet, so you’ll be better prepared if you ask them.

10. Be Aware of Any Pests or Health Problems

As most orchids are from tropical regions, they’ve evolved to fight off tropical bugs, so they may not be as suited for dealing with bugs that live in our temperate regions. The key to fighting off pests and diseases is providing your orchid with the proper lighting, humidity, and temperature to keep them strong enough to ward them off. Also, regularly inspect your orchid for any bugs or insects and if you’re struggling speak to an orchid expert to help you!

Final Thoughts

With their vibrant color and tropical style, Orchids may a great addition to any home. By following these 10 tips, you can master orchid care for beginners and ensure your orchid will live a long and healthy life.

Are you looking to bring some beautiful orchids home? The good thing is there are fantastic orchids available online, and many of them ship free! Let us know what you think of this orchid of the month in the comments!

Ti Leaf

Ti (or “ki“ in the Hawaiian pronunciation) is one of the most versatile plants in Hawaii. This plant was brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian settlers who knew of its many uses. The most useful part is the leaf. Ti leaves are a foot or two long and about four inches wide. They have a firm stem or bone that runs through the middle of the leaf.

In Hawaiian culture the ti leaf is associated with the hula and its goddess, Laka. Ti leaves were also used in rituals to invoke the god Lono and to ward away evil. Even today in Hawaii you will see new ventures such as buildings or equipment bless by a kahuna holding ti.

The leaves were also used for clothing. Ti can be fashioned into a skirt for hula or a cape worn on the shoulders. Children are known to create a makeshift sled for going down grassy hills. The leaves naturally shed water when fresh.

The roots of the ti plant are tuberous and can be baked for eating or fermented into a beverage.

The scientific name is Cordyline terminalis or fruticosa. The plant thrives with just a little sun and is a common site both when hiking in Hawaii or in landscaping. The can be grown by rooting the leaves or from the rhizomes in the ground. The plant does produce a flower and small fruit though it is mostly prized for its leaves.

How to Make a Ti Leaf Lei

There are two types of basic ti leaf leis you can make. These are the braided or hilihili style or the maile style. Maile style ti leaf leis are often worn by men in weddings and are less expensive than true maile leis.

To begin you will need enough leaves to make each lei. For braided leis have about six or eight on hand. Have about ten for maile style as you need to join the leaves with inserts. Note that we have ti leaves for sale on our site. To work with the leaves you will need to trim out the spine and freeze them overnight. You might want to have some extra leaves on hand in case of accidental tearing when you work.

You can also add a strand of orchids or tuberose to the maile style lei as well as a few orchid blossoms to the braided style.

Here is a good article on making ti leaf leis as well as a video from YouTube.

How to Make Hawaiian Laulau

Laulau are a savory dish made with meat and seasonings tied or wrapped in ti leaves. The laulau are usually steamed for several hours. Contents are typically fish, pork or chicken lightly salted. Popular fish include ahi or butterfish.

Some on line recipes may call for taro (kalo) leaves from the plant whose roots are used to make poi. But we find ti leaf works just as well.

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Makuahine “Mother” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Originally created for Hawaiian Mother’s Day flowers this assortment is great any time of year. It has a large variety of long lasting tropicals including three different colors of anthurium, tall heliconia and exotic safari sunset.

Start with three types of leaves. Place two hala leaves in the back center of the foam. Cut a third hala leaf short and add a V-shaped chevron cut as shown. Place the ti leaves around the base gently folding back as shown. Rubber bands can help hold them in place. Extend the large monstera leaf out to the center front.

Add the 2 upright heliconia near the center. This is a heavy flower so make sure it is placed firmly.

Add the safari sunset near the center at different angles as shown.

Use one ginger opposite of the banksia to balance that side. Place the other at the center right. Use the tropic fleur as the tallest flower in the back.

Fill the lower areas with red anthurium. Measure before cutting to make sure they are not too short.

Finish with the green and pink anthurium again measuring and trying placement before cutting.

Makuahine ‘Mother’ Assortment This beautiful tropical flowers assortment was originally designed to feature the best of our season just to honor Mom on Mother’s Day. But the combination of tropical stems is perfect for anyone any time of year, not just for Mom. Five different Hawaiian flowers and ti leaves make this an assortment with a […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Lanui “Holiday” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Bright tropical reds and greens bring aloha to the holidays. While this is a featured assortment for Christmas it will be beautiful any time of year.

Start with the palm leaves – cross them in the center back of the foam as shown.

Add the 3 safari sunset near the back of the arrangement. Place the 3 hala leaves as shown with careful bends in two of the leaves.

Place 2 banksia protea, one at the back near the center and the other on the right..

Use one ginger opposite of the banksia to balance that side. Place the other at the center right. Use the tropic fleur as the tallest flower in the back.

Fill the lower areas with red anthurium. Measure before cutting to make sure they are not too short.

‘Lanui’ Hawaiian Holiday Flowers Assortment Hawaiian holiday flowers in perfect tropical reds and greens bring Aloha to any celebration. This Hawaiian flower selection was created for the the Christmas season but it is right for any occasion, celebration, memorial. Or just to send your personal message of ‘Aloha’. Red Maui banskia are a most unusual flower. They […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Pumehana “Warm Hearted” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Heartwarming fresh flowers from Hawaii. This assortment can be arranged both tall and wide with heliconia, birds of paradise and Maui protea. Note that if birds of paradise are not available we will substitute tropic fleur heliconia instead.

Pumehana ‘Warm Hearted’ Hawaiian flowers will warm the heart of anyone. This inviting tropical flowers assortment is made of of heliconia, birds of paradise, Maui pincushion protea and rose ginger. We add ti leaves and hala to complete your display. Upright heliconia are a bold, bright flower. This tall and weighty Hawaiian flower will anchor this tropical […]

When you order a Hawaiian flower assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a Hawaiian flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Akala Hula “Pink Dance” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Pink is the theme for this Hawaiian flower DIY arrangement. Akala Hula means ‘pink dance’ and this tropical assortment will liven any room or table. It is focused with two large flowers. The king protea provides width and the upright heliconia emphasizes the height of your arrangement. Fill it out with pink ginger and lacy white orchids.

Arrange the ti leaves as shown. Use rubber bands to secure the tops to the bases of the leaves

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Hoaloha “Good Friend” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

What better way to express love and friendship than with our Hoaloha ‘Good Friend’ assortment. A wonderful mix of Hawaiian flower favorites includes heliconia, ginger, anthurium and orchids. And so easy to create a remarkable display in not time at all.

Set the raphis palm in the middle of the foam.

Set 3 ti leaves upright about the center of the display.

Use the other ti leaves at the base. Bend them back and secure with rubber bands if needed.

Hoaloha ‘Good Friend’ Flower Assortment A rich mixture of beautiful stems with a bit of everything for the tropical flower lover. Tall red gingers with tropic fleur heliconia join red and green anthuriums. We complete the selection with orchid sprays. Also included are ti leaves and raphis palm to bring greenery to one of our most varied assortments. Hoaloha […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Makana Aloha “Gift From The Heart” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 short vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Makana Aloha means ‘Gift of Aloha’. This is a bright, happy arrangement easy to create. It is a simple mix of tall tropic fleur heliconia and Hawaiian orchids. This is our Hawaiian Flowers of the Month selection for August.

Bend the ti leaves a show. Carefully secure with rubber bands.

Cut part of the bases of the hala leaves. Place the longer sections as shown.

Cut the tops of the short hala sections into a V-shaped chevron cut and add to the assortment.

Makana Aloha ‘Gift from the Heart’ Makana Aloha is a gift of ‘Aloha’. A simple yet beautiful selection of Hawaiian flowers. We combine tropic fleur heliconia and dendrobium orchid sprays. ‘Makana’ is the Hawaiian word for gift. When you send Hawaiian flowers you are sending your special feeling of Aloha. That can be an expression […]

Candy Lei Kits

Hawaiian flower leis are lovely but for keiki (kids) it is more about FUN! As the school year ends many celebrate children moving to the next grade with a ‘graduation’ of their own.

For a fun, safe and easy party our candy lei kits bring a Hawaiian touch to your event. Kits come in an assortment of designs and colors. Each kit makes 5 leis. Just use your favorite wrapped candy. Use 20 pieces of candy for each lei.

The kits are made from a printed, strong cello tube. Color ties are included so all your little students have to do is slide the candy inside and tie between each piece. The lei is then tied to close. Simple and fun.

Candy lei kits also make a great birthday party theme.

We have some new designs this year (shown below) and have added them to our web site. In addition to our traditional hibiscus color themes we now have a maile design that resembles the Hawaiian vine worn in graduation ceremonies.

The second new design is the ‘kapa’ or ‘tapa’ design, derived from traditional Hawaiian printing and paper making. And of course we’ve added pineapple, a Hawaiian favorite and favorite of kids as well.

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Ahi “Fire” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 short vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Ahi is the Hawaiian word for ‘Fire’ and this assortment will dazzle with it’s bright red glow. Deep red anthurium and ginger are surrounded by wispy white dendrobium orchids. This assortment is easy to arrange and will light up any room.

Place the raphis palm leaf in the center of the foam.

Add two ti leaves upright behind the palm.

Fold the remaining ti leaves at the base as shown.

Add one anthurium in the center and 2 gingers on either side.

Fill in with orchid sprays.

Fill out with anthuriums. Some can be cut short to complete the lower part of the arrangement.

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Po Mahini “Moonlit Night” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 short vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Hawaiian orchids capture the tones of a moonlit tropical night. Simple but elegant, dendrobium orchids with background of greenery make a cool and sparking display.

Place the raphis palm in the center of the foam.

Fill around with ti leaves. They can also be folded under if you prefer.

Place the purple orchids in the center. One or two can be cut short and pointed outward.

Po Mahina Moonlit Night Orchids Hawaiian orchids make this assortment simple and elegant. Fresh dendrobium orchids from the Big Island of Hawaii in bright white, soft lavender and deep purple. We add green ti leaves to make this assortment radiate like moonlight when displayed. The Big Island of Hawaii is know as the ‘Orchid Isle’. It […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Punahele “The Favorite” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 short vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Punahele means ‘Favorite’ and this is one of our favorites. Purple arc tulip anthuriums join golden heliconia and pincushion protea. Red anthurium add a bright dash of color. Send this to someone special to let them know they are your favorite friend or loved one.

Start with the ti leaves across the back as shown.

Add one ti leaf at a lower profile in the front.

Add the hala leaves. One or two can be gently bent as shown.

Arrange the three tall heliconia.

Add one pincushion near the center.

Cut two pincushions short and place on either side as shown.

Add one purple arc near the back center.

Cut the anthurium to different heights to fill more space in the front.

Punahele ‘The Favorite’ With beautiful heliconia, we made this one of our our featured Hawaiian flower assortments. The purple arc tulip anthuriums set off the golden colors in the pin cushion proteas. And the red anthuriums compliment the foliage for a stunning array of colors and textures. The pincushions and short and wide. The heliconia […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Ka Ipo “Sweetheart” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 short vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Ka ‘Ipo is Hawaiian for ‘Sweetheart’. This is a gift your sweetheart will never forget. Exotic Maui banksia are joined by green anthurium, Hawaiian orchids and purple arc tulip anthurium. Follow our easy Hawaiian tropical arrangement DIY or create one of your own.

Start with hala leaves as shown. Hala can be gently bent or cut in half for more foliage.

Add one banksia in the center.

Cut the other banksia shorter and place in the center front.

Add ti leaves around the base.

Add orchids. Some can be cut shorter for the lower part of the arrangement.

When you order any tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember the flowers do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

This sensational spring assortment features the best flowers of the Hawaiian spring. King and pincushion protea are enjoying the close of their season over on Maui. We accent these unusual flowers with tall heliconia and purple tulip anthuriums.

Sensational Spring Assortment Sensational any time of year these Hawaiian flowers features a large Maui king protea, delicate pincushion protea, tall heliconia and anthurium. Dark and light green foliage complete your assortment for a stunning gift or decorative display any time of year. Arranging these tropical bloomers in any type of vase and they will […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Aloha “Love” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

‘Aloha’ has many meanings in the Hawaiian language. One of the meanings is ‘Love’ and this Hawaiian flower assortment will express your love with bright red anthuriums and delicate white orchids.

Place the Song of India stalk in the center of the base

Bend and secure 2 ti leaves on either side as shown. Secure with rubber bands if needed.

Add 2 upright ti leaves.

Place 3 orchid sprays evenly as shown.

Cut 2 anthurium short and place in the front. Add a long anthurium in front of each upright ti leaf.

Aloha ‘Love’ Hawaiian Flower Assortment ‘Aloha’ means ‘Love’ in Hawaiian and what better way to express that than with this Hawaiian flower assortment. We’ll send heart-shaped red anthuriums laced with white orchid sprays. Ti leaves and Song of India foliage add green color to this bright Hawaiian flower mix. These tropical flowers are available year round. […]

When you order a tropical assortment from With Our Aloha, remember they do not come pre-arranged. The stems are delicately packed at the source, and rush shipped to your door to ensure you receive the freshest flowers possible. We have provided a tropical flower arrangement DIY that walks you through a “suggested” design below, but the beautiful possibilities are endless.

For this Makamae “Precious” 12 stem assortment idea, you will need:

1 shallow vase

1 block of floral foam

garden shears

scissors

rubber bands are also helpful sometimes

Makamae means ‘Precious’ in Hawaiian. This tropical flower assortment will tell someone how precious they are to you. This is a medium height arrangement using pincushion protea and Big Island orchids. The monstera leaves will add width.

Begin with the 3 monstera leaves pointing outward from the base.

Add a hala leaf in the center and two pincushions. One pincushion in the front can be cut shorter.

Continue adding pincushions and hala leaves. A hala leave can be gently bent back for effect.

Fill out empty space with the orchid sprays. Some sprays can be cut lower or in half as needed.

Make Your Own Perfume

You’ll need a clean glass bottle to mix things in. A dark glass works best as it protects from light.

To store your finished perfume a smaller bottle. Again dark glass is better but clear works fine.

Two tablespoons of carrier oil to hold the fragrance. Oils such as almond oil or jojoba work well.

Four tablespoons of vodka or high proof alcohol.

Two tablespoons of distilled water. Tap water should not be used.

Essential oils and fragrances – combine up to three for your favorite combination

One coffee filter and a funnel

1. Add 30 to 40 drops of your favorite oil or combination of oils to your mixing bottle. Test as you go until you find a mix you like again using multiple oils.

2. Mix in vodka and the carrier oil. Shake everything together and then let the closed bottle sit for at least two days. Some combinations can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully rest. Do not refrigerate but keep in a cool, dark location.

3. Open and add the water. Shake thoroughly.

4. Line your funnel with the coffee filter and pour into the storage bottles. This will take some time so go slowly and do not overfill the funnel.

5. Shake again each time before using.

It can take time to find your favorite combination so experiment freely with small drops of the oils.